There will be at least one more home game for the Orange men’s soccer seniors. It will be this Thursday in the 5A State Playoffs. The senior group of John Gomez, Yurem Tapia Mendez, Dallas Johnson, Carson Condon, Jay Parker, Durvin Lopez, Cris Lopez, Gabe Yen, and Logan Edwards have been the most successful group in the history of Orange soccer. In 2024, they set a new school record with 16 wins. For the first time ever, the Panthers hosted a state playoff game, defeating Swansboro 1-0 behind a penalty kick in overtime from Mendez. Last week, the Panthers won the first conference championship in the 38-year history of the program. Gomez scored a hat trick in a 3-1 win at Seaforth in Pittsboro. The win also established a new wins record for Orange soccer in a season with 17. Gomez also had a hat trick in a 5-0 win at J.F. Webb last Monday. Mendez leads the team in scoring with eleven goals and 15 assists. Orange finished a game ahead of Carrboro for first place in the Big 7 Conference. The Panthers will play either Seaforth or Southern Guilford in the second round of the 5A State Playoffs on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Orange received a #5 seed in the pairings from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released on Sunday.
